Russia to Brief UN Security Council on Syria´s Idlib

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia will brief the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday about the results of the Tehran summit it held with Iran and Turkey on the fate of Syria´s Idlib province, diplomats said.

The council will meet at Russia´s request at 11:00 am (1500 GMT) to hear the briefing as Syrian forces are preparing for an all-out military assault on the rebel-held province, AFP reported.

At a council meeting also on Friday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia defended the military plans for Idlib, saying armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda were "a legitimate target for liquidation."

The Russian mission to the United Nations said that the public meeting would serve to "brief council members on the results" of the Tehran summit of Astana guarantors.

The three countries last year set up the Astana process, a negotiating track to end Syria´s war.

Recently, a US state senator said Britain’s MI6 intelligence service was planning a chemical weapons attack on the Syrian people, which it would then blame on President Assad.

“Around four weeks ago, we knew that British intelligence was working towards a chemical attack in order to blame the Syrian government, to hold Syria responsible,” Richard Black said on Al Mayadeen on Monday.